Timing device for pumps



Sept. 4, 1956 R. E. DAVIDSON TIMING DEVICE FOR PUMPS Filed July 25, 1952INVENTOR V Pi/ey Dau/dson,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent TIMING DEVICE FOR PUMPS Riley E.Davidson, Carmi, 111.

Application July 25, 1952, Serial No. 300,830

3 Claims. (Cl. 10327) This invention relates to timing devices, and moreparticularly to an improved device for timing the period of operation ofa pump, such as an oil well pump.

The main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved pumptiming means adapted to be employed with an oil well pump of the typehaving a walking beam, the improved timing means being operated directlyby said walking beam, being simple in construction, being easy toinstall, and being reliable in' operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved timing meansfor an oil well pump of the walking beam type, said timing meansinvolving inexpensive components, being sturdy in construction, andbeing readily adjustable to provide a desired time period of operationof the pump with which it is employed without requiring the fuel tank ofthe pump motor to be emptied when the operation of the pump isterminated, whereby the pump may be readily restored to operation whenrequired, and whereby the carburetor associated with the operating motorneed not be reprimed.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of a pump of thewalking beam type provided with improved timing means according to thepresent invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross sectional detail view taken on the line 33of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross sectional detail view taken on the line4-4 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, 11 generally designates a pump of the walkingbeam type such as is employed with oil wells. The pump comprises thebase frame 12 to the top portion of which the walking beam 13 ispivoted, as shown at 14. The piston shaft of the pump, shown at 15, isconnected to one end of the walking beam 13, as by a connecting sleeve16, and the other end of the walking beam is connected by a link bar 18to the crank 19 which is driven through a gear box 20 and a transmissionpulley 21 by an internal combustion engine 22. The engine 22 is providedwith an ignition circuit including a magneto 23.

Designated at 24 is a housing in which is journaled a horizontalthreaded shaft 25, said threaded shaft 25 extending transverse to thevertical plane of the walking beam 13. Rotatably mounted in the housing24 parallel to the shaft 25 is a second shaft 26 which projects beyondthe end wall 27 of the housing. Rigidly connected to the end of theshaft 26 is the arm 28, the end of arm 28 being connected to the forwardportion of the walking beam 13 by a link bar 29, as shown in Figure 2.The shaft 26 is thus drivingly coupled to the walking beam 13 forconcurrent oscillatory movement therewith.

Secured on the threaded shaft 25 is a ratchet wheel 30, and engagingsaid ratchet wheel 30 is a resilient pawl 31 which is secured to theshaft 26. Designated at 32 and 33 are respective opposing nut segmentsthreadedly Patented Sept. 4, 1956 engaging the shaft 25 from above andbelow, as shown in Figure 3, the upper nut segment 32 being secured toan arm 34 and the lower nut segment 33 being secured to an arm 35, asshown, the rear ends of the arms 34 and 35 being pivotally connectedtogether at 36 and the arms being biased towards each other by a coiledspring 37 encircling the upper portion of a headed screw 38 whichextends through the upper arm 34 and is threadedly engaged in a boss 39provided in the lower arm 35, as shown in Figure 3. The screw 38 may beadjusted to vary the amount of biasing force exerted by the spring 37.This adjusts the pressure on the nut segments 32 and 33 which serves tomaintain said'nuts in threaded engagement with the shaft 25.

The arm 34 is provided with the hook portion 40 which extends around aguide rod 26' secured in housing 24 parallel to shafts 25 and 26. Arm 34is movable along rod 26' responsive to rotation of the threaded shaft25. Adjustably secured on the rod 26' is the contact element 41, saidcontact element 41 being in the form of a sleeve which is insulated fromthe rod 26' by an insulating lining 43 interposed between the conductivebody of the member 41 and the rod 26, as shown in Figure 4. A set screw44 is provided in the contact member 41 to secure said contact member inan adjusted position on the rod 26'. The contact member 41 is providedwith a terminal 45 to which is connected one end of a wire 46 which isconnected to one of the magneto terminals of the ignition circuit forthe engine 22. The other magneto terminal is grounded and is thusconductively connected to the housing 24 and therefore to the rod 26, aswell as to the remaining mechanical elements in the housing 24.

In operation, as the walking beam 13 oscillates, the pawl 31 advancesthe ratchet wheel 30, thus rotating the shaft 25 through a predeterminedangle for each oscillation of the walking beam 13. This advances the nutsegments 32 and 33, and at a predetermined time, representing apredetermined number of oscillations of the walking beam 13, the contactarm 40 engages the contact element 41, thus short circuiting theignition circuit of the engine 22 and causing said engine to stop. Bysetting the contact element 41 to a suitable position on the rod 26, thepump may therefore be timed to stop after any predetermined number ofoscillations of the walking beam 13.

From the above explanation, it will be apparent that the timing means ofthe present invention may be set to terminate the operation of the pumpresponsive to a predetermnied specific number of oscillations of thewalking beam 13, and thus provides a direct means which terminatesoperation of the pump after the predetermined number of oscillations ofthe walking beam have been completed. Furthermore, the arrangement ofthe present invention allows the operation of the driving motor of thepump to be terminated while there is still a suflicient quantity of fuelin said motor to allow the motor to be readily restarted wheneverdesired, without requiring the carburetor of the motor to be reprimed,and without requiring a separate supply of fuel for the motor to bemaintained apart from the fuel tank of said motor.

While a specific embodiment of an improved means for timing theoperation of a pump of the walking beam type has been disclosed in theforegoing description, it will be understood that various modificationsWithin the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in theart. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on theinvention, except as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a pump having an oscillating walking beam, and an internalcombustion engine drivingly connected to said walking beam, said enginehaving an ignition circuit, a timing mechanism for said ignition circuitcomprising a rotary shaft, a nut threaded on said shaft, a guide barsupported parallel to said shaft, an arm secured to said nut andengaging said guide bar, a contact secured on said guide bar, circuitmeans connecting said contact and arm across said ignition circuit,whereby said ignition circuit is'short circuited when the armengages'said contact, and means formed and arranged to couple said shaftto said walking beam.

2. In a pump having an oscillating walking beam, and an internalcombustion engine drivingly connected to said Walking beam, said enginehaving 'anignition circuit, a timing mechanism for said ignition circuitcomprising a rotary shaft, a nut threaded on said shaft, a guide barsupported parallel to said shaft, an arm secured to said nut andengaging said guide bar, a contact secured on said guide bar, circuitmeans connecting said contact and arm across said ignition circuit,whereby said ignition circuit is short circuited when the arm engagessaid contact, a ratchet wheel on said shaft, arcuately movable pawlmeans engaging said ratchet wheel, and means formed and arranged to'couple said pawl means to said walking beam.

3: In a pump having an oscillating walking beam, and an internalcombustion engine drivingly connected to said walking beam, said enginehaving an ignition circuit, a timing mechanism for said ignition circuitcomprising a rotary shaft, a nut threaded on said shaft, a guide barextending paralel to said shaft, a second shaft rotatably supportedparallel to said first-named shaft, an arm secured to said nut andengaging said guide bar, a contact secured on said guide bar, circuitmeans connecting said contact and arm across said ignition circuit,whereby said ignition circuit is short circuited when the arm engagessaid contact, a ratchet wheel on said first-named shaft, a pawl on saidsecond shaft engaging said ratchet wheel, and means formed and arrangedto couple said second shaft to said walking beam for concurrentoscillating movement therewith.

References (Jited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS819,287 Klaus May 1, 1906 2,456,456 Smith ec. 14, 1948 2,550,093 SmithApr. 24, 1951 2,577,479 Owen et al Dec. 4, 1951

